College sees spike in donations since announcing tuition cut

St. John's College reported more than 1,000 small gifts in its annual fund, totaling more than $750,000 since September, nearly twice as much as the same period in 2017.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — A private liberal arts college with campuses in New Mexico and Maryland has seen a spike in donations since announcing plans to decrease tuition.

St. John’s College reported more than 1,000 small gifts in its annual fund, totaling more than $750,000 since September. The Capital Gazette reports the amount is nearly twice as much what the annual fund raised during the same period in 2017.

Officials say the influx of gifts have come in since the school launched a $300-million campaign to fund its new philanthropy-centered financial model Sept. 12. St. John’s is one of a few U.S. colleges that pivoted to a philanthropy-centered financial model that relies more on donor dollars.

Officials say it’s too soon to tell if the tuition decrease will produce more applicants.